A Southend jazz club fears it could face having to leave its home in the Royal Hotel if plans for flats on the floor above them get the green light.

Trevor Taylor, 76 and wife Carol Taylor have organised Jazz 825’s celebrated weekly jazz events for three years in the 240-year-old Royal Hotel in Southend High Street.

But they now fear plans submitted to Southend Council for 17 flats in the Grade II listed building could throw the club’s future into doubt.

The developer, PDimensions, has insisted it hopes the jazz club can continue operating, but “can make no promises” and will install sound buffers on the flats.

Plans make clear the private basement bar, ground-floor restaurant and ballroom would remain untouched at the former hotel.

But Mr Taylor fears any potential tenants above may not take kindly to music being played until late at night.

Mr Taylor said: “This is our third year at the Royal Hotel, we had ten years at the Railway and 17 years before that at the Cliff’s Pavilion.

“I have organised one gig a week for 50 years and we are exceptionally concerned that venues are closing all over the country, 100 close a year, and it is getting harder and harder to keep things running.”

Mr Taylor said they fear it would only be a matter of time before they could be asked to stop playing music after 9pm.

He added: “The Royal is a great venue and I used to play in the basement here 50 years ago. If these plans affect our right to put on live music, it kills the Royal too.”

Mrs Taylor said: “We pay extra to musicians to make sure they get a minimum salary, especially after Covid, musicians had such a hard time, and it would be such a shame to lose what we have.

“We provide employment for lots of local musicians and once a month we have a fee-paying gig which we bring artists from outside the local area, and they are all shocked this is happening.”

David Gutwirth: “We are proposing expensive high level sound insulation and the vision of our client is to keep the jazz club active.

“This plan is a good thing, the area is prime UK seaside real-estate, but it is in decline. There has been no investment and no rejuvenation, these empty spaces are dead. The alternative is it continues as dead space.”

Jazz 825’s free event runs every Wednesday in The Royal Hotel from 8.30pm and 10.30pm.